The 2024 Chesapeake Bay Dead Zone Report Card suggests hypoxia in the Chesapeake Bay was somewhat larger than the long-term average from 1985-2023 but slightly shorter in duration.
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A study led by scientists at William & Mary’s Batten School & VIMS has demonstrated surprising variability in the results of different modeling methodologies for predicting future hypoxic, or low-oxygen, conditions known as dead zones in the Chesapeake Bay.
Professional painter Tricia Bass recently partnered with W&M's Batten School & VIMS for an Artist-in-Residence pilot program, with the idea that art can generate interest in marine science.
The Batten School & VIMS Photo Contest, now in its 25th year, recognizes the most noteworthy images captured by faculty, staff and students while in the field and laboratory.
The Juvenile Striped Bass Seine Survey recorded a mean value of 3.43 fish per seine haul in the Virginia portion of the Chesapeake Bay. The 2024 value is significantly lower than the historic average of 7.77 fish per seine haul and marks the second consecutive year of below-average recruitment in Virginia tributaries.
A study by researchers at William & Mary's Batten School & VIMS suggests that a loss of suitable nursery habitat for striped bass in the Chesapeake Bay may be contributing to lower numbers of juvenile fish.
Since 2012, W&M's Batten School & VIMS has been working to restore wild bay scallops in the southern coastal bays of Virginia's Eastern Shore. The results of this year's survey show their population may be approaching sustainable levels.
Dive into the salt marsh with marine ecologist David Samuel Johnson at William & Mary’s Fall Tack Lecture on November 14 at 7 p.m. in the Sadler Center’s Commonwealth Auditorium. His talk, “Space Fish, Zombie Shrimp and Other Saltmarsh Tales,” will contain bizarre and captivating stories that reveal the remarkable but often overlooked life of salt marshes.
ESL researchers, students and volunteers introduced a record number of Marine Life Day attendees to a broad spectrum of marine science experiences.
The Bonnie Sue Internship Program offers immersive, hands-on summer research opportunities exclusively to local students from the Eastern Shore of Virginia.
VIMS and W&M's Batten School welcomed rising third through eighth graders for week-long programs that enable students to learn about the Chesapeake Bay, coastal ecosystems and environmental stewardship.
The Camp Launch experience at VIMS and the Batten School provides students entering ninth and 10th grade with unique opportunities for hands-on marine science learning during the two-week science enrichment camp.
William & Mary’s Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences at VIMS welcomed its largest class in history this year as 35 students entered its M.A., M.S. and Ph.D. programs.
An international team of scientists including Professor Deborah Steinberg have published a new study outlining the potential for ocean iron fertilization as a method for marine carbon dioxide removal.
A new study by researchers at W&M's Batten School at VIMS suggests the American lobster may be more resilient to the effects of climate change than expected.
Researchers led by W&M Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences graduate Andrew Corso have discovered a new species of Antarctic dragonfish, Akarotaxis gouldae or Banded Dragonfish, in waters off the western Antarctic Peninsula. The species exemplifies both the unknown biodiversity and fragile state of the Antarctic ecosystem.
Underwater grasses in the Chesapeake Bay expanded 7% to an estimated 82,937 acres in 2023 to reach their seventh-highest level in 40 years of monitoring, according to an annual survey led by researchers at William & Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) in collaboration with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
MSCI 331 Coastal Marine Environments is based out of William & Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science Eastern Shore Laboratory. This two-week course is consistently one of the most popular marine science undergraduate courses available at W&M due to the immersive natural experience.
A transformational $100 million gift from philanthropist Jane Batten HON ’17, L.H.D. ’19 will catalyze the newly named Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences. Batten’s visionary gift will position W&M and its Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) as the premier destination for developing solutions to these threats — building on the university’s strong scientific reputation and unmatched expertise in coastal resilience.
A new report by VIMS emphasizes a collaborative approach to mitigating sudden oyster mortality syndrome.
A new article published in the journal Frontiers of Marine Science encourages researchers to focus their attention on mixoplankton, providing a set of methodologies to help expand our understanding of this critically important component of the marine ecosystem.
Marine Science Day, VIMS' marquee outreach event of the year, offers a closer look at our waterfront research and education facilities. This year, the 22nd annual Marine Science Day attracted more than 2,000 visitors, setting a recent attendance record.
William & Mary biology major Caitlin Sughrue made important contributions to research supporting seagrass restoration while earning her Minor in Marine Science. Next, she will travel to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to participate in the National Park Service's Scientists in Parks program.
Graduating with a Ph.D. from William & Mary's School of Marine Science, Alex Schneider will soon put her fisheries expertise to use with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
People are increasing decomposition rates in rivers and streams around the world, contributing to increased greenhouse gas emissions and threatening biodiversity.
The 50th anniversary of the pioneering shark survey marks a milestone in scientific research and demonstrates VIMS researchers’ dedication to understanding and conserving marine life.
This year, VIMS celebrated 18 W&M School of Marine Science graduates during a Diploma Ceremony held on the morning of Saturday, May 18.
Accounting for the impact of recreational fishing, the study led by VIMS researchers is the first to assign an economic value to the benefits of marshes and living shorelines for coastal communities.
Humans have significantly altered the movement of mud across the landscape and in the oceans, causing yet-to-be quantified impacts on the storage and cycling of organic carbon.
William & Mary is moving forward with a proposal for the first undergraduate marine science program at a public university in Virginia. The Board of Visitors approved the measure to submit plans for the degree to the State Council for Higher Education in Virginia (SCHEV). That review process by SCHEV will determine whether the university may implement the new program.
Governor Glenn Youngkin joined representatives from the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) at William & Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science to celebrate the achievement of the Chesapeake Bay Oyster Restoration Goal for the York River.
VIMS researchers Pierre St-Laurent, Ph.D., and Marjorie Friedrichs, Ph.D., have harnessed 38 years of data to produce the most current and comprehensive climatological atlas of the Chesapeake Bay. Available for public use, it is expected to serve as a useful reference for those who study and teach marine science or make their living on the Bay.
Published in the prestigious Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, a new study from William & Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) leverages more than three decades of data to demonstrate that extreme water temperatures associated with marine heatwaves last longer than previously known, exhibit subsurface seasonal patterns, and are associated with the expansion of hypoxic zones.
Sixteen teams from 15 schools across the Commonwealth competed in this year’s Blue Crab Bowl, one of 17 regional competitions of the National Ocean Science Bowl (NOSB), an annual academic contest to test knowledge of the ocean science disciplines among high-school students.
Each year, William & Mary bestows the Thomas Jefferson Award on a member of the William & Mary family for significant service through his or her personal activities, influence and leadership. School of Marine Science Professor Linda Schaffner is this year's winner.